Switch for establishing a multiplicity of electric circuits



y 5, 1964 J. c. KOCI 3,132,217

SWITCH FOR ESTABLISHING A MULTIPLICITY OF ELECTRIC CIRCUITS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 27, 1961 INVENTOR.

BY l/E/PRY 6! K00 J. C. KOCI May 5, 1964 SWITCH FOR ESTABLISHING A MULTIPLICITY 0F ELECTRIC CIRCUITS Filed Feb. 27, 1961 I l I I I l I I I I l I l l l I l l I I I l IN V EN TOR.

l/EKRY 5 0c/ BY #125 14TTOK/VEYS- SWITCH FOR ESTABLISHING A MULTIPLICITY F ELECTRIC CIRCUITS Jerry C. Kori, Harrington, Ill, assignor to Chicago Dynamic Industries, Inc, Chicago, Ill, a corporation of Illinois Filed Feb. 27, 1961, Ser. No. 91,971

2 Claims. (Cl. 200-15) 7 My invention relates to new and useful improvements in a switch for establishing a multiplicity of electric circuits and has for its principal object the provision of an improved construction of this character which will be highly efiicient in use and economical in manufacture.

An equallyimportant object of this invention is the provision of a novel and simplified means for accomplis ing the establishment of a multiplicity of circuits by the operation of a single control knob. and in which device there is an arrangement for properly indexing the circuit establishing elements.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

The invention consists in the novel combination and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter described and claimed.

The invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanying drawings showing the preferred form of construction, and in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a preferred form of construction ofthe invention;

FIG. 2 is a sectional detailed view taken substantially on line 2-2 of FIG. :1;

FIG. 3 is a sectional detailed view taken substantially on line 3-3015 FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of parts of the invention shown in exploded relation;

FIG. 5 is a suggested schematic wiring diagram; and

FIG. 6 tea fragmentary vertical sectional detail view.

of the Geneva movement G shown in FIG.2.

\As will be apparent from the description to follow my invention is capable of numerous applications and further that the circuits may be unlimited. Preferably there is provided an enclosure 10 having on opposite sides thereof mounting flanges 11 by means of which the device may be mounted inla selected position.

The front wall 12 has projected therethrough the end '13 of shaft 14. To the exterior. end portion of the shaft is connected a finger or thumb knob by means of which the shaft 14 is rotated. This knob 15 may have incorporated therein a mechanism 16 which will designate the particular circuit established or the code number of the circuit when such a code number is employed.

This mechanism is not described or shown herein as it is a well-known mechanism and in and of itself constitutes no part. of'my present invention. A plate 17 by means of spacer sleeves and nut bearing bolts 18 is connected in parallel spaced relation to a plate 19. The plate 17 has side flanges 20 by means of which. the plate 17 is connected to the opposite side walls of the enclosure ltl. p e p The plate 17 has a central opening 21 in. which there is fixedly positioned a bushing 22. J ournalled in the bushing 22 is a stud shaft 23 having a reduced portion 24. The reduced portion 24 is fixedly positioned in a gear segment 25. The end 26 of the shaft 14 projects into a slot 27'formed in the stud shaft 23 whereby when the shaft :14 is rotated through manipulation of the thumb knob 15 the gear segment will be rotated therewith.

The gear segment 25 consists: of two spaced teeth 28. Extending between the plates 17 and 19 is a stud shaft 29 the ends 30 of which extend through openings 31 formed in the plates 17 and 19 and are provided with grooves 32 to receive latch washers 33.

3,132,217. Patented May 5, 1964 Mounted on the shaft 29 for free rotation thereabout is a pinion 34 which meshes with the teeth 28 at the completion of each revolution of theshaft 14. Ilhe pinion 84 meshes with a gear 35 fixedly mounted on a stud shaft 3 6 journalled in a bushing 37 fixedly carried by the plate 1-9. The stud shaft 36 base. slot 38 which receives the end portion 39 of a shaft '40 of the opposite, end portion 43 rotatably carried by the 41 of which projects into a slot 42 formed in a bushing endplate 44 of the enclosure 10. 1

Arranged within the enclosure 10 in parallel spaced facial relation with respect to each other is a plurality of non-conductive plates 45 through the center of which the shaft '14 freely rotates. These plates 45 are carried by shafts 46 and 46 arranged within the enclosure 10. The plates 45 each carry a plurality of circuit elements 47. On the shaft 14 there are arranged. contact arms 43 which successively engage the circuit elements 47.

Also arranged within the enclosure '10 upon the shafts 46 and 46' is a non-conductive'plate 5t likewise having spaced contact elements 51. On'the shaft are cairied contact arms 52 which successively engage the contact elements 51. i V

Terminals 53 are provided for connection with the circuit elements of the plates and 56.

To complete the invention there is provided an indexing device 54. This indexing device is inthe form of a notched Wheel 55 carried by and, rotatable with the shaft 14. In the notches of the wheel 55 a roller 56 engages. Such roller is carried by an arm 57 pivoted as at 58, the roller being spring-urged into the notches of the wheel 55.

While I have shown in the drawings only ten plates 45 and 50, it is clearly obvious that any number of plates may he employed, this being accomplished by enlarging the length or diminishing the length of the shaft '14 as theoccasion requires.

On each plate there are shown ten of the contacts 47 (FIG. 5). This number may vary. In operation the contacts of the first plate 45, viewing FIG. 5 from the right, will complete a circuit. This by reason of the fact that the contact arm 52 remain in contact with the first of the contacts 51 until the shaft 14 has made one complete revolution at which time the contact arm 52 of the plate will be brought into engagement with the next succeeding contact of the plate 50. This is accomplished by the Geneva movement G comprising the gears 25 and 35 and pinion 34. succinctly stated at the completion of each revolution of the shaft 14 the shaft 40 is caused to rotate one step through the operation of the Geneva movement thus establishing a circuitry for the elements of the next plate 45.

A switch constructed in accordance with the foregoing description has many uses and may be constructed for the purpose of establishing as many circuits as a situation requires.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred form of construction for carrying my invention into effect, this is capable of variation and modification without departing from the spirit of the invention. 1, therefore, do not wish to be limited to the precise details of construction set forth, but desire to avail myself of such variations and modifications as come within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

l. A switch device for establishing a multiplicity of electric circuits: comprising (a) an elongated rectangularly shaped housing having a firont and rear wall,

(b a group of circuit element bearing plates within said housing and arranged in spaced parallel relation with respectto each other and said front and rear walls,

(c) a first shaft'having one end rotatably journaled through said front'wall and extending inwardly of said housing and coaxial-1y with respect to said plates,

; (d) a plurality of contact arms carried by and rotatable (e) a stationary plate within said housing between said front and rear walls and extending in a spaced parallel relation to the innermost circuit element bearing plate and having formed therein a central opening,

(1) a first stud shaft rotatably journaled in said opening and adapted to rotatably support one end of said first shaft,

(g) a second shaft having one end rotatably journaled in said rear wall and extending inwardly therefrom in horizontal alignment with saidfirst shaft,

(in) a supporting plate carried by said stationary plate in spaced parallel relation with respect thereto and having a center opening in horizontal alignment with the opening formed in said stationary plate,

(1') a second st-ud shaft rotatably journaled in the center opening of said supporting plate and adapted to rotatably support the free end of said second shaft,

(j) a single circuit element bearing'plate within said housing and disposed in spaced parallel direction with respect to said rear wall "and said supporting plate,

(k) contact arms on said second shaft and rotatable 4 into engagement with the circuit elements on said single circuit element bearing plate, (1) means on said first and second stud shafts between said stationary plate and said supporting plate for operatively connecting said first shaft to said second shaft so as to impart a step by step revolution to said second shaft upon each complete revolution upon said first shaft. 7 2. The device as defined by claim 1 characterized by the inclusion of a Geneva movement as the means operatively connecting said firs-t shaft to said second shaft, and an indexing means carried by said front wall and operable on said first shaft for indexing the plurality'of contact arms rotatably carried thereby with respect to the circuit elements of the group of circuit element bearing plates. 7

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,386,897 Rockwell et al. Aug. 9, 1921 2,411,730' Huntsman Nov. 26, 1946 I 2,700,076 Goode Jan.. 18, 1955 2,953,651 Koschmieder n Sept. 20, *1960 FOREIGN PATENTS Australia Mar. 10, 1956 

1. A SWITCH DEVICE FOR ESTABLISHING A MULTIPLICITY OF ELECTRIC CIRCUITS COMPRISING (A) AN ELONGATED RECTANGULARLY SHAPED HOUSING HAVING A FRONT AND REAR WALL, (B) A GROUP OF CIRCUIT ELEMENT BEARING PLATES WITHIN SAID HOUSING AND ARRANGED IN SPACED PARALLEL RELATION WITH RESPECT TO EACH OTHER AND SAID FRONT AND REAR WALLS, (C) A FIRST SHAFT HAVING ONE END ROTATABLY JOURNALED THROUGH SAID FRONT WALL AND EXTENDING INWARDLY OF SAID HOUSING AND COAXIALLY WITH RESPECT TO SAID PLATES, (D) A PLURALITY OF CONTACT ARMS CARRIED BY AND RATATABLE WITH SAID SHAFT FOR ENGAGEMENT WITH THE CIRCUIT ELEMENTS ON SAID PLATES, (E) A STATIONARY PLATE WITHIN SAID HOUSING BETWEEN SAID FRONT AND REAR WALLS AND EXTENDING IN A SPACED PARALLEL RELATION TO THE INNERMOST CIRCUIT ELEMENT BEARING PLATE AND HAVING FORMED THEREIN A CENTRAL OPENING, (F) A FIRST STUD SHAFT ROTATABLEY JOURNALED IN SAID OPENING AND ADAPTED TO ROTATABLY SUPPORT ONE END OF SAID FIRST SHAFT, 